Ex-Newcastle United goalkeeper wants club relegated

Most retired footballers want their former clubs to succeed, but ex-Newcastle United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has revealed that he would like to see the North-East outfit relegated from the Premier League.

The comment would initially come as a surprise to most fans, but the 49-year-old has claimed that dropping into the second tier would force Mike Ashley into selling the club.

“I’ve picked Newcastle, and I’ll tell you why – because that would force Mike Ashley to sell. And I think you will not see the best of Newcastle until Ashley sells. In case you haven’t gathered, I’m not much of an Ashley fan.”

Newcastle spent last season in the Championship after Rafael Benitez failed to keep the Magpies in the top flight.

Having a full season ahead of him, the Spaniard was able to comfortably guide the club back into the elite, but they are in danger of falling right back into the second tier.

As it stands, the club are just two points above the bottom three with nine games left to play.